Site Navigation

Site Mobile Navigation

Women and the Oil Rush

The Jan. 16 front-page article about Williston, N.D., where a preponderance of men makes life difficult for women (“An Oil Town Where Men Are Many, and Women Are Hounded”), was fascinating — and sad — for the parallels it offers to the Gold Rush of the 19th century.

Then, as today, large numbers of men headed west looking to strike it rich. Then, as today, a smaller number of entrepreneurial women, some of whom made their livelihood as sex workers, lived in the boom towns.

In the 1800s, however, the demographics in some ways led to empowerment for women. Western states were among the first to grant women the right to vote; the small number of female residents meant that they were too important to ignore.

Ironically, today’s situation recreates something of the gender dynamics of that period, but in a country where women are already supposed to be equal. What a shame we haven’t made more progress.

SARAH J. PURCELLGrinnell, Iowa, Jan. 16, 2013

The writer is an associate professor of history at Grinnell College.

A version of this letter appears in print on January 22, 2013, on Page A24 of the New York edition with the headline: Women and the Oil Rush. Today's Paper|Subscribe